Seats
delimitation: HP ratifies amendmentsShimla, December 19The Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha
today ratified the amendments proposed to be made in Article 368 of the
Constitution for delimitation of seats of the Lok Sabha and the state
Assemblies without disturbing their strength, for which both houses of
Parliament have already passed a Bill.

HP to give
priority to dam ousteesShimla, December 19The Himachal Pradesh Government
will formulate a model relief and rehabilitation policy to ensure prompt
and proper resettlement of persons displaced due to the construction of
various hydel power projects and cement plants.

Tibetans
build stupas to ward off calamityDharamsala, December 19After getting four Buddhist stupas
constructed in McLeodganj, as guards against the threat of a natural
disaster, the private office of the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai
Lama, now plans to construct a multi-storeyed stupa in the Bhuj area of
Gujarat, which was ravaged by an earthquake on January 26, this year.

BADDI DIARY
Show-cause notice to DCM unitBaddi
The Labour Commissioner of Himachal Pradesh has served a show-cause notice on DCM Tools and Dies, in the wake of a representation from its employees alleging illegal retrenchment.
The Labour Commissioner has directed the firm to explain its position within 15 days, besides taking exception to the management’s failure to provide information about the exact number of employees working in the unit.

Bank
fined, asked to credit chequeShimla, December 19Mr P.D. Goel, President District
Consumer Forum, has directed the Boileauganj branch of the State Bank of
India to credit a cheque of Rs 50,000 in the account of complainant M/s
Bansal Hardware and also pay Rs 3000 as damages to the complainant.

Man gets
life term for murderSundernagar, December 19In a significant judgement
yesterday, Mr George, Additional Sessions Judge, Mandi Division,
convicted Gurdev Singh of Bhadauli in Kiratpur on the charge of
murdering Bhim Singh of Mandi and sentenced him to rigorous imprisonment
for life.

Change
old transmission wires: DCCKulu, December 19The Himachal Pradesh State
Electricity Board should replace the old and worn out electricity
transmission wire in the district to avoid repeated loss of property
due to short circuits. Mr Satya Prakash Thakur, former minister and
spokesperson of the District Congress Committee here, said this while
expressing concern over the fire accident at Beasa More Akhara Bazar
here on December 16.

State
Mahila Cong chief’s clarificationNurpur, December 19Major Krishna Mohini, state
president, Mahila Congress, in a fax message to the president of the
Nurpur block Mahila Congress, Ms Tripta Saini, has categorically
denied that she had ever given any verbal direction to the Kangra
district Mahila Congress president, Ms Pushpa Chowdhary, to appoint Ms
Aruna Sharma as president of the local unit.

Higher
reaches in HP experience fresh snowfallShimla, December 19Higher reaches in Himachal
Pradesh experienced fresh snowfall, while middle and lower hills had
rain since last night, plummeting the temperature considerably in the
region.

Shimla, December 19
The Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha today ratified the amendments proposed to be made in Article 368 of the Constitution for delimitation of seats of the Lok Sabha and the state Assemblies without disturbing their strength, for which both houses of Parliament have already passed a Bill.

The resolution for ratifying the amendments was moved in the House by the Chief Minister, Mr P. K. Dhumal.

The Chief Minister said although increasing of seats in Parliament and legislatures had been frozen till 2026, but the need for delimitation of certain unwieldy constituencies by making geographical adjustments was being felt.

The Himachal Pradesh Government has abolished 2, 575 posts in various departments during the past three years and has created 22, 654 new posts. This was stated in a written reply by the chief minister, to a question of Mr Chander Kumar (Congress).

The Chief Minister informed him that 609 posts had been upgraded during the period.

The highest number of 993 posts had been abolished in the Education Department in which 8, 275 new posts had been created. As many as 666 posts had been abolished in the Agriculture Department in which only one new post was created and upgraded. About 300 posts were abolished in the Police Department and 1, 021 posts had been created.

In a written reply to a question of Mr Tek Chand (Congress), the IPH Minister said 9, 810 daily wagers in the department had completed five years of service and they were being regularised in a phased manner.

The Minister of State for Technical Education, Mr Ravinder Ravi, while replying to a question of Mr Rakesh Pathania (BJP) said the engineering college at Kala Amb near Nahan was allowed to be set up in an industrial shed by the previous state government in violation of the norms set by the All-India Council for Technical Education. The college neither had qualified teachers nor properly equipped laboratories.

Mr Dhumal said doubts had arisen because of the college was opened by a Chandigarh-based financial company which had arranged loans for the state government at an exhorbitant rate of arranger’s fee. The management committee comprising only one member of the family of the promoter of the financial company had been revamped and representatives of the state government had also been appointed to it.

In a written reply to a question of Mr Kaul Singh, Mr Rangila Ram Rao and Mr Chander Kumar (Congress), the Minister for Food and Civil Supplies informed them that as on November 30 as many as 10, 016 applications for widow pension, 7, 651 of old-age pension and 4, 337 of handicapped persons’ pension were pending.

Noisy scenes were witnessed during the reply of the Horticulture Minister, Mr Narendera Bragta, to a question regarding alleged irregularities committed at Agro-Industrial Packaging India Ltd of which a special audit was got done. The minister tabled the report of the special audit for the period from 1997 to 1999. The question was tabled by Mr Chander Sein (BJP).

The special audit has pointed out grave financial irregularities pertaining to misuse of vehicles, foreign tour, purchase of raw material, gifts for business promotion in running the government-owned unit near Kotkhai.

Shimla, December 19
The Himachal Pradesh Government will formulate a model relief and rehabilitation policy to ensure prompt and proper resettlement of persons displaced due to the construction of various hydel power projects and cement plants.

Announcing this while replying to a discussion under Rule 130 raised by Mr Ram Lal Thakur (Congress) on the issue, the Revenue Minister, Dr Rajan Sushant, said that the government had learnt from its bitter experience of the past projects when oustees could not be rehabilitated for decades after commissioning of the projects. For instance, many of those who sacrificed their homes and hearths to pave the way for the construction of Bhakra dam had still not been resettled. The story of Pong Dam oustees was not much different.

He said seminar would be held to which all legislators would be invited. On basis of its deliberation, the new model package would be evolved.

He said the government was doing its best to get maximum concessions to the oustees of various projects already commissioned or under execution. It had been able to secure plots for 1047 out of the total 1559 left-out Pong Dam oustees. Another 10,000 hectares of command land had been reserved for the remaining 512 oustees. He appreciated the Rajasthan Government which extended full cooperation to the state and not only allotted plots for oustees but also agreed to send its revenue officials to Himachal Pradesh to hear appeals.

Similarly, in the case of Kol Dam, a provision had been made in the agreement for providing secondary employment to oustees by way of constructing shops, imparting vocational training and a grant of Rs 15,000 for self-employment to each family.

Earlier, initiating the discussion, Mr Thakur underlined the need for addressing the issue of oustees seriously, rising above party lines. He said shortcomings in rehabilitation packages and their indifferent implementation had left the oustees in the lurch. He cited the example of Bhakra Dam oustees, over 700 of whom were still awaiting rehabilitation. The government acquired land in haste but the same urgency was not shown in the resettlement of oustees.

He said the proposed Chamba cement plant had not been cleared by the Union Ministry of Environment and even the company concerned had not shown any interest, but the government had started proceedings for acquisition of land and issued notice to villagers. He said once the land was acquired nobody bothered for the rehabilitation of oustees and promises for providing jobs, in particular, were not honoured. He urged the government to promptly implement its decision to carve out two more districts in Bilaspur to rehabilitate the left out oustees. Mrs Asha Kumari urged the government to nominate non-official members to the Relief and Rehabilitation Advisory Committee from amongst the
oustess.

Dharamsala, December 19
After getting four Buddhist stupas constructed in McLeodganj, as guards against the threat of a natural disaster, the private office of the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, now plans to construct a multi-storeyed stupa in the Bhuj area of Gujarat, which was ravaged by an earthquake on January 26, this year.

One of the four stupas, constructed recently in different parts of the town, was inaugurated today amidst the chanting of holy mantras as an elaborate religious ceremony was held at the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA).

A very senior religious guru Jamtsonla, and close aide of the Dalai Lama, performed the puja as per the mahurat. The red coloured stupa has been erected in a record period after a predication was made by the senior lamas at the Oracle that the area faced the impending threat of a natural disaster.

It was on the directions of the Dalai Lama that the four stupas have constructed at TIPA, Sidhbari, Sarah and Tibetan Children Village School. “The four differently coloured stupas, in red, black, white and yellow have been constructed in all the four directions to ward off the threat of an earthquake, as per the Tibetan belief,” stated Rapkar Wangchuk, the artist from TIPA, who has worked on the stupa.

As per the Tibetan belief and tradition, stupas are constructed to ward off any such threat and minimise the loss of life and property if a disaster strikes. After the 1986 earthquake in Dharamsala five small stupas were constructed inside the palace of the Dalai Lama, as a protection.

According to Tibetan officials, the Dalai Lama has directed that a stupa be constructed at Bhuj, which suffered the maximum damage in the earthquake that devastated Gujarat on January 26. “The stupa will be a huge one, having several storeys and a staircase, the cost of which is expected to be in crores,” said a senior official. The blueprint of the multistoreyed Buddhist stupa is being given final touches.

The Tibetans believe it was due to the prayers held by the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan community, that McLeodganj, the headquarters of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile escaped the fury of the January earthquake. The religious heads of the different schools of Tibetan Buddhism had predicted that a major natural disaster would rock the McLeodganj area, during the state Oracle, held two months back.

The 1905 Kangra earthquake had caused large-scale destruction, killing over 20,000 persons. Falling in the high risk seismic zone V, the Dharamsala, Chamba and Sundernagar areas of Himachal, have been rocked by tremors every now and then.

Baddi
The Labour Commissioner of Himachal Pradesh has served a show-cause notice on DCM Tools and Dies, in the wake of a representation from its employees alleging illegal retrenchment.

The Labour Commissioner has directed the firm to explain its position within 15 days, besides taking exception to the management’s failure to provide information about the exact number of employees working in the unit.

An inquiry conducted by the Labour Officer on the direction of the Labour Commissioner had revealed that despite employing more than 100 workmen, the management did not seek permission of the Labour Department to close the unit.

The management has been asked to explain why the closure of the unit without seeking permission of the Labour Department should not be treated as illegal. It also calls upon the management to explain why the workmen affected by the closure should not be given benefits under the relevant labour laws, and why prosecution should not be initiated against it under the Industrial Disputes Act.

The show-cause notice has given a respite to the employees who had lost all hopes of getting any compensation from the management.

* * *

The soft attitude of the state government towards investors from outside Himachal Pradesh who have set up their units in the state has led to a negative trend.

After utilising the subsidies offered by the government, some of the industrialists have shifted their units to other states.

These industrialists seem to be escaping punitive action on the plea of general recession in the market. Officers of the Industries Department opine that if the laws are enforced strictly to check this trend, industrialists will be dissuaded from investing in this state. This will also harm the interests of the local people who get employment in these units.

These officials, however, point out that a number of new investors were showing interest in the state.

Under the state’s new industrial policy, it is mandatory for the units to give at least 65 per cent employment to Himachalis. The state government has offered a number of incentives such as subsidised power and tax holiday for five years. The government has also taken up the question of extending the income tax holiday till 2007. The present tax holiday expires in March 2002.

The government also offers land at concessional rate to the investors. An export promotion park has also been developed here at a cost of Rs 20 crore.

Shimla, December 19
Mr
P.D. Goel, President District Consumer Forum, has directed the Boileauganj branch of the State Bank of India to credit a cheque of Rs 50,000 in the account of complainant M/s Bansal Hardware and also pay Rs 3000 as damages to the complainant.

According to the complainant, he deposited a cheque for Rs 50,000 with the State Bank of India, Boileauganj branch. He said on July 30, 1997, the cheque in question was sent by the Boileauganj branch to the Summer Hill branch for collection and Rs 50,000 was credited in the account of the complainant firm.

He alleged that on August 1, 1997, as per the entry in the passbook, Rs 50,000 was withdrawn from the account of the complainant firm. On enquiring it was stated by the bank that the cheque in question was not in proper order and as such the amount of Rs 50,000 had been debited in his account. The complainant further alleged that since the amount had been withdrawn unilaterally by the bank, so the bank was liable to give the credit of Rs 50,000 with interest to the complainant.

While delivering the order Mr Goel observed that the bank was not justified in debiting the said amount from the account of the complainant without serving notice upon. So, it was held that the action of the bank was illegal and the bank had rendered deficient service, for which the bank could escape liability.

Sundernagar, December 19
In a significant judgement yesterday, Mr George, Additional Sessions Judge, Mandi Division, convicted Gurdev Singh of Bhadauli in Kiratpur on the charge of murdering Bhim Singh of Mandi and sentenced him to rigorous imprisonment for life.

The court further sentenced the convict to rigorous imprisonment for 10 years and fined him Rs 2000 for offences under Section 364 of the Indian Penal Code, five year’s rigorous imprisonment under Section 382, I.P.C., and three year’s rigorous imprisonment under Section 201.

According to the prosecution, the convict hired a taxi from Mandi to Ludhiana for Rs 2000 and paid an amount of 600 on the spot on January 7 last year. He later killed the victim, Bhim Singh, with the help of Kuldip Singh, Nirmal Singh, Raj Kumar.

The taxi was found by the Ludhiana police from Balbir Singh. The body of the victim was recovered from a nullah near Rewalsar town.

The prosecution examined 22 witnesses. Although most turned hostile, the accused was convicted on the basis of circumstantial evidence.

Kulu, December 19
The Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board should replace the old and worn out electricity transmission wire in the district to avoid repeated loss of property due to short circuits. Mr Satya Prakash Thakur, former minister and spokesperson of the District Congress Committee here, said this while expressing concern over the fire accident at Beasa More Akhara Bazar here on December 16.

He said the fire at Tosh village where more than a 100 houses were destroyed and the fire accident at Baga village near Raison where the whole village has been connected through one wire transmission were also because of short circuits.

Mr Thakur demanded a detailed inquiry into all these incidents and said the HPSEB should be hauled up for their negligence.

He further said the hike in the power tariff by the board without the provision of safe and regular power supply was unjustified. On top of that the HPSEB has imposed an extra burden in the name of “winter charges”.

He asked if the HPSEB was giving any discount during the summers to the hill people or was the present government considering of such rebates for the summers.

Nurpur, December 19
Major Krishna Mohini, state president, Mahila Congress, in a fax message to the president of the Nurpur block Mahila Congress, Ms Tripta Saini, has categorically denied that she had ever given any verbal direction to the Kangra district Mahila Congress president, Ms Pushpa Chowdhary, to appoint Ms Aruna Sharma as president of the local unit.

In a copy of the message released to the mediapersons here today, Major Mohini reiterated that Nurpur Assembly segment had only one post of the Mahila Congress president and there was no question of having separate presidents for the urban and rural segments.

The post of the local block president has recently become a bone of contention between the supporters of Mr Sat Mahajan and former local MLA, Mr Ranjit Bakshi, who are at logger heads over it.

Shimla, December 19
Higher reaches in Himachal Pradesh experienced fresh snowfall, while middle and lower hills had rain since last night, plummeting the temperature considerably in the region.

High altitude areas in tribal districts of Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur had moderate to heavy
snowfall, making people groan under the harsh cold wave.

The entire Spiti valley has been experiencing snowfall since last night. About 20 cm fresh snow was recorded at
Kaza, headquarters of the Spiti subdivision. The valley is in the grip of a severe cold wave as the temperature dipped to minus 16°C at Kaza.

All mountain passes, including the 13,050-foot high Rohtang Pass and the Dhauladhar Mountain ranges, had heavy snowfall.

Shimla and its adjoining areas were lashed by icy-cold winds even as the town had rain last night. The temperature dropped to 7.3°C at the Ridge, the hub of tourists activity.

Nahan, December 19
A Paonta Court granted bail to 11 local businessmen last evening with a case filed by the state Excise and Taxation Department under Section 420, IPC, for allegedly producing forged bank payment receipts of tax payment.

The Paonta bazar remained tense the entire day. A large number of people were assembled in the court compound in support to the arrested persons.